Debie Watsyk is from the NWT’s Deh Cho region, born and raised in Fort Simpson. She is the oldest granddaughter of Louis Norwegian, a longtime chief of Jean Marie River, and the oldest daughter of Minnie Norwegian. She currently lives in Hay River but remains active in working on projects that improve the future for residents of the Deh Cho.
Growing up, Debie spent summers in Jean Marie River, where she often followed her grandfather around instead of learning traditional practices like making dry fish. Her grandfather held multiple part-time jobs and had a deep sense of responsibility for the community, viewing it as a large family. He believed in the importance of traditional practices but also recognized the need to support the community as Western society began to affect traditional ways of living. So, he began supplying firewood to Fort Simpson and the family grew and harvested their own food, practices that instilled in Debie a strong belief in self-sufficiency, independence, and capability.
In terms of education, Debie holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree, a leadership certificate, and is a certified Flight Service Specialist. She’s worked in various public service roles including as a fire clerk, where she coordinated efforts to manage wildfires; worked for Nahanni National Park for two years; and served as a Flight Service Specialist for Transport Canada in seven Arctic airports over five years.
For the last 20 years of her career, Debie has focused on program delivery, which involved assessing funding applications and determining their community and industry benefits. This experience has proven valuable in her current work on the board, where she applies similar skills to evaluating more technical projects.
Debie joined the Mackenzie Valley Land and Water Board after being encouraged by her region and inspired by her cousin, who spoke highly of the work.
“She mentioned how interesting the work was, and the opportunity to kind of get involved and have a say in how things are managed, or co-managed to represent the region, and I found that very inspiring. So I applied,” she explained.
Debie said her past experiences, particularly in aviation and mining, have helped her in her role on the board by providing perspective on the importance of balancing development with environmental protection. She witnessed firsthand how little was initially left behind by the mining industry in the North and became committed to ensuring that co-management includes careful consideration of benefits, environmental conservation, and minimizing industry footprints.
As a representative of a region with an unsettled land claim, she feels a strong responsibility to advocate for the future and remind others of the importance of considering the impact of decisions on future generations. She believes that protecting the environment is not only a Dene law, but also in everyone's best interest, particularly in the face of climate change.
“[We have] to make sure we have something to give to coming generations that is safe, healthy and also very natural, in the sense that it's not corrupted by too much interference. So we need to protect that – that is part of the culture and that needs to stay, that's very important,” she said.